Restraining garment



Feb. 22, 1966 1. L. BUCKLEY 3,236,234

RESTRAINING GARMENT Filed June 8, 1964 Irene L Buckley 1 N VEN TOR.

50 46 BY WW 3m United States Patent M 3,236,234 RESTRAINING GARMENT Irene L. Buckley, Ridge Road, Worthington, Mass. Filed June 8, 1964, Ser. No. 373,393 3 Claims. (Cl. 128134) The present invention generally relates to a restraining garment for use by a senile or confused patient in the home, hospital or nursing home.

An object of the present invention is to provide a restraining garment in the form of a relatively wide waist encircling garment having a closure along the back of the garment so that such closure is inaccessible to the wearer of the garment.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a restraining garment having adjustable tie straps so that the patient can turn either way in bed and sit up comfortably and the patient will not actually be aware of being restrained unless he endeavors to get out of the bed.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a restraining garment which may be used by adults or children as a post-operative garment while recovering from anesthesia in the hospital or the garment may be used to retain the patient in a single desired position in a comfortable manner until fully recovered from anesthesia.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a restraining garment having a zipper type closure in back of the garment with hooks underneath the closure thereby making it substantially impossible for the patient to remove the garment while still enabling a nurse or attendant to easily open the zipper closure for enabling access to be had to the back of the patient or enabling the garment to be readily removed and placed in position.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide a restraining garment Which is simple in construction, easy to use, effective for its particular purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective View of the restraining garment of the present invention in use;

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view of the garment in extended position illustrating the structural details thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 33 of FIGURE 2 illustrating further structural details of the garment structure; and

FIGURE 4 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the closure zipper and the manner in which the hooks and loops therefor are associated with the zipper structure.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral generally designates the restraining garment of the present invention which is disposed in enclosing relation to the waist of a patient 12 who may be a senile person, a confused patient, a patient recovering from anesthesia or other post-operative conditions or the device may be used with an infant for retaining the patient on the bed surface 14 with the garment 10 including tie straps 16 for anchoring to the bed side rails 18 by a suitable knot 26 or the like.

The restraining garment 10 includes an elongated panel 22 of fabric-like material which may be material such as is normally employed to form garment-like structures such as canvas material or the like. The upper edge of the panel 22 is provided with darts 24 stitched therein for forming a slight curvature to the panel 22 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The bottom edge of the panel 22 is pro- 3,236,234 Patented Feb. 22, 1966 vided with a reverse fold 26 in the form of a hem together with a strip 28 forming a facing for the restraining garment 22 for engaging the wearer. The top edge of the panel 22 is also provided with a reversely folded hem 30 and a similar strip 32 to the strip 28 is atttached to the hem 30 thus further cushioning the restraining garment 22 in relation to the patient 12.

A fastener assembly is employed for securing the ends of the panel 22 together in Waist encircling position and said structure is shown specifically in FIGURE 4 in which the side edge of the panel 22 is provided with a reverse fold 34 and a zipper tape 36 having interlocking slide fastener elements 38 on one edge thereof. Also connected to the reverse folded edge 34 is a tape 40 carrying eyes or loops 42 thereon for engagement with hooks 44 on the opposite edge thereof. Both edges of the panel 22 are provided with a finishing flap or liner structure 46 which is formed by two pieces of material stitched together at a line of stitching 48 and a line of stitching 50 which also extends through the tape 40 and the zipper tape 36. Also, suitable stitching 52 is provided for securing the reverse fold 34 in position along with the zipper tape 36, the hook or loop tape 40 and the finishing panels 46 in assembled relation.

Attached to the outer surface of the panel 22 is an elongated tie strap 50 for having elongated flexible free end portions 56 which are employed to secure the garment to the side rails 18 of the bed structure. As illustrated, multiple stitching or other fastening elements 58 are employed for securing the strip or tie members 54 to the panel 22 at longitudinally spaced points adjacent the rear junctural portion of a garment as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

Along the top edge of the panel 22 adjacent one of its edges is a plurality of snap fastener elements 60 and attached to the upper edge of the panel 22 adjacent the outer side edge thereof is a securing tape or strap 62 having a single snap fastener element 64 on the free edge thereof for engagement with one of the snap fastener elements 6% whereby the strap 62 serves to conceal the slider element of the zipper structure with the slider element being designated by numeral 66. Thus, when the slider element is at its upper position or closed position as illustrated in FIGURE 1, the strap 62 serves to conceal the slider element and to prevent access thereto thereby preventing the wearer of the garment from gaining access to the slider element thereby preventing the garment from being disengaged from the patient or person using the same. In addition, even if the zipper structure is disengaged, the hooks 44 engaging the loops 42 will still serve to retain the garment in enclosing relation to the waist portion of the wearer and due to the natural resiliency of the garment and the fact that the fastening assembly are located at the back of the wearer, it is extremely difl'licult for a person to completely remove the garment without assistance from a nurse or the like thereby ensuring that the person wearing the garment will be restrained in the position desired. Of course, the device may be elfective for holding the person in a chair as well as holding him in bed or it may be used to assist a person in walking or standing when they are unsteady on their feet.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A restraining garment comprising an elongated flexible panel of fabric-like material adapted to encircle the waist of a wearer, said panel including terminal ends adapted to be disposed at the back of a wearer, means attached to the terminal ends of the panel for detachably securing the terminal ends together for securing the garment in Waist encircling relation with the means for securing the ends thereof in an inaccessible position, tie straps attached to said panel and including an elongated free end portion extending from the portion of the panel adjacent the terminal ends thereof for anchoring to a stationary support such as a bed rail for restraining the wearer in the bed, and means overlying and concealing a portion of the securing means for further preventing access thereto by the wearer, said means for securing the terminal ends of the panel together including a slider operated fastener assembly with the slider element thereof being disposed adjacent the upper edge of the panel when the fastener assembly is secured in place, said means for overlying a portion of the fastener assembly including a strap being attached to one terminal end of the panel adjacent the upper edge thereof and detachably connected to the other terminal end portion of the panel adjacent the upper edge thereof for overlying the slider element when the fastener assembly is in operative position.

2. The structure as defined in claim 1 together with auxiliary hook and eye members disposed adjacent the slider operated fastener assembly forming an auxiliary fastening means for further preventing removal of the garment by the wearer even if the slider operated fastener assembly is actuated.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said tie straps are formed as the free terminal end portions of a continuous strap member of double thickness of fabriclike flexible material having the central portion thereof attached to the central portion of the panel adjacent the upper edge thereof.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ADELE M. EAGER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A RESTRAINING GARMENT COMPRISING AN ELONGATED FLEXIBLE PANEL OF FABRIC-LIKE MATEIAL ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE THE WAIST OF A WEARER, SAID PANEL INCLUDING TERMINAL ENDS ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED AT THE BACK OF A WEARER, MEANS ATTACHED TO THE TERMINAL ENDS OF THE PANEL FOR DETACHABLY SECURING THE TERMINAL ENDS TOGETHER FOR SECURING THE GARMENT IN WAIST ENCIRCLING RELATION WITH THE MEANS FOR SECURING THE ENDS THEREOF IN AN INACCESSIBLE POSITION, TIE STRAPS ATTACHED TO SAID PANEL AND INCLUDING AN ELONGATED FREE END PORTION EXTENDING FROM THE PORTION OF THE PANEL ADJACENT THE TERMINAL ENDS THEREOF FOR ANCHORING TO A STATIONARY SUPPORT SUCH AS A BED RAIL FOR RESTRAINING THE WEARER IN THE BED, AND MEANS OVERLYING AND CONCEALING A PORTION OF THE SECURING MEANS FOR FURTHER PREVENTING ACCESS THERETO BY THE WEARER, SAID MEANS FOR SECURING THE TERMINAL ENDS OF THE PANEL TOGETHER INCLUDING A SLIDER OPERATED FASTENER ASSEMBLY WITH THE SLIDER ELEMENT THEREOF BEING DISPOSED ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE OF THE PANEL WHEN THE FASTENER ASSEMBLY IS SECURED IN PLACE, SAID MEANS FOR OVERLYING A PORTION OF THE FASTENER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING A STRAP BEING ATTACHED TO ONE TERMINAL END OF THE PANEL ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF AND DETACHABLY CONNECTED TO THE OTHER TERMINAL END PORTION OF THE PANEL ADJACENT THE UPPER EDGE THEREOF FOR OVERLYING THE SLIDER ELEMENT WHEN THE FASTENER ASSEMBLY IS IN OPERATIVE POSITION. 